The Resistance Will Not Be Intimidated
by Celestrious
Summary: A one shot reimagining of a scene from The Force Awakens. What if Kylo Ren had revealed his true identity to Poe Dameron? Would he have recognized the face of a childhood friend?


He awoke to a deafening silence, his vision blurred like the disturbed water of a pond before it was given time to settle. Poe's dark eyes flicked upwards to see nothing but the dark grey of the ceiling and his heart began to race inside his chest. Where was he? Why couldn't he remember anything?

Poe attempted to sit up, only to be pulled back down by the restraints binding him. He balled his hands into fists, opening and closing them over and over, his memory starting to return to him in pieces. He remembered being sent to the village of Tuanul on Jakku to meet with Lor San Tekka. BB-8 had gone with him, riding along in the black and orange X-Wing Poe called his own.

His mind scurried through the information. What had he come to Tuanul for? The star chart! The star chart leading to Luke Skywalker! He remembered now. Poe gave another tug at the restraints clamped around his wrists and ankles. He'd sent BB-8 away with the map when Kylo Ren had showed up with his First Order stormtroopers.

A lump grew in his throat. He had no idea where BB-8 was now and it worried him. What if they'd caught the little droid? Poe had promised to come back for him.

Another thought rose to take a place of the previous one as he saw the slaughter of Lor San Tekka and the other villagers. He'd tried to stop it, perhaps foolishly, but it was no use now. He'd already pulled out the blaster and been held in place by the dark uses of the Force. It had been a valiant attempt, but it'd been no match for the mysterious leader, Kylo Ren.

Guilt washed over him. He was trusted on this mission and now he had failed. He was a prisoner. Lor San Tekka had told him to get out and instead he'd tried to be brave. Now he let everyone down, especially General Organa. He hated to let her down most of all. She'd treated him so well and trusted him so much and now Poe worried that trust would be broken. Their relationship would likely lay in shambles when he returned, _if_ he returned. She had been like a mother to him after his own mother passed when he was just a kid.

Sweat trickled down Poe's forehead as he remained in the bitter silence, horrific memories his only company. His head hurt and he could feel the thick wetness of blood at his temple where the sticky substance matted down some of his brown locks. Immense pain clouded his mind again; his head hurt so bad that he had to grit his teeth to stay conscious.

They'd already tortured him for information. He vaguely remembered the shocks and beatings, but most of all he remembered the haunting image of the stormtroopers gathered around him, their ghostly masks reminiscent of skeletons foreshadowing his own death. He needed to find a way out of this place, but locked in this chamber there seemed to be no way of escape.

Poe Dameron took in a shaky breath, eyes darting around him quickly, looking and hoping to find anything of use to get him out of where he was. His thoughts of escape were interrupted by the sound of opening doors and the heavy footsteps of a stranger. His heartbeat quickened in his chest. He could feel every beat as it grew in intensity.

He knew he needed to remain calm, but could already predict what was to come. The First Order wanted information. They wanted information he could potentially provide them with. They'd stop at nothing to get it. He shut his eyes and let out a long breath.

"I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance onboard." came a dark and distorted voice.

The black and slender figure of Kylo Ren himself appeared in front of Poe and the pilot set his jaw tight and opened his eyes again. The enemy was so close. If only he could shoot him dead right here, right now.

"Comfortable?"

It was a sick thing to ask. The answer was quite obvious. The game of cat and mouse was reaching its finale. "Not really."

A faint chuckle came from the masked man. "I'm impressed. No one has been able to get out of you…what you did with the map."

"Might wanna rethink your technique." Poe suggested. He couldn't help himself.

Kylo reached out a hand and Poe felt a sting in his brain. It was a buzzing feeling, as if someone was flipping through files in his mind and he couldn't stop them. He let out a shuddering breath. His head was thrown back with violent force against the metal chair.

"Where is it?"

Poe shook his head, taking another shuddering breath.

"Where is it?" Kylo demanded again, drawing out his words slowly as if talking to a child who didn't understand.

When Poe did not answer, Kylo grew frustrated. They'd already failed several times to gain vital information from the prisoner. He was strong and had somehow managed to withstand the torture. It irked Kylo Ren to no end. He knew who Poe Dameron was and he'd known for a very long time. He knew what the man was capable of. It was all a game.

"Tell me where to find the star charts."

"Never."

"What? You wouldn't tell an old friend?"

Poe swallowed hard. What did he mean, _friend_? He certainly did not consider himself to be any friend of Kylo Ren.

Kylo gritted his teeth beneath his mask and grabbed it off his head, throwing it to the ground with a heavy sound of metal hitting metal. He hadn't wanted to reveal himself, but gaining the location to Luke Skywalker was something he considered more valuable than the secret of his identity. Snoke wouldn't be pleased to hear about this and Hux would likely have a few snide remarks about it, but Kylo didn't care now. The rage overcoming his dark heart was too strong now. He needed revenge.

Poe Dameron's eyes widened at the face of the man he recognized instantly. It was hard to process what he was seeing and for a moment he thought his eyes might be deceiving him. It'd been such a long time, but he'd recognize that face anywhere. His nose, his eyes…they were undeniable familiar.

"Ben…" he whispered, chest heaving in shock.

"I am no longer Ben." he hissed. "My name is Kylo Ren and you will tell me where to find the-"

"No! No, no, no…they said you were dead. Ben, why would you do this? How could you?" Poe yelled, sadness of the reality he was presented with overtaking him. His voice cracked under the weight of his grief. This was too much.

Kylo Ren flinched at the pilot's outburst.

They'd been best friends once, long ago. Poe Dameron and Ben Solo had been thick as thieves. They'd done everything together until Ben had left for training.

One day Poe had been told that Ben was killed in a massacre that a fellow student named Kylo Ren had committed while in Jedi training with Luke Skywalker. They'd lied to him and he didn't know what hurt more, the atrocious lie he had been fed or the discovery that his childhood best friend was the man he so desperately fought to rid the galaxy of.

Poe remembered the pain of losing Ben. First he'd lost his mother, then he'd lost his best friend. He remembered vowing to avenge his friend's death. Whoever Kylo Ren was, he'd chosen the dark side, the _wrong_ side, and he'd pay for it. There was darkness to that way of thinking and Poe knew it. He'd grown up with Luke Skywalker as a family friend. He recognized the call to the dark side and he fought to contain it.

Kylo Ren took a step forward, reaching out his hand to toy with the mind of his former friend.

"We were both so young and stupid then…" he began calmly, his voice deep. "You missed me. You wanted to avenge my death, but here we are. Oh, what a turn of events…"

Poe winced and writhed in the metal chair, thoughts spinning. He couldn't let him in. He couldn't let him find out the location of the map.

"Come on Poe Dameron, give it up. I can see your fears. I…can… _see_ …them…" he leaned down, whispering into the pilot's ear.

A twist of his hand and Poe let out a cry, tears leaking from his dilated, brown eyes.

"They say you're so brave and strong. You have the nerve to talk back to me, but deep down you are weak let the rest of them. You are weak like your father. You are weak like _my_ father."

Kylo Ren flicked his wrist and Poe's head flew backwards into the cold metal of the chair again and the X-Wing fighter groaned in pain, his eyes wide and filled with a mix of rage and hopelessness.

The mind probe was too much for him, he knew it. Kylo had pulled memories from when they were just children, play fighting with sticks, yet here they were years later playing games with things much more dangerous than twigs or branches.

Han Solo had treated Poe well. He'd looked after him when he was young, checking on him when his own father was too busy to. He hadn't seen Han in a long time now, but he never forgot his kindness. Ren had insulted Poe Dameron to the core.

"My father is strong and so is yours." he spit out. "Stop this Ben." Poe gasped, a choking sensation filling his throat. He couldn't breathe.

"Give an old friend the information." Kylo Ren's voice rang out once more as he pulled the man he'd once been so close to forward with his Force powers. "Give it to me Poe Dameron!" he jeered. "You're _weak_! You know you're weak! Give it up."

Poe let out a long yell of anger and defeat. Ben Solo was not here. Ben Solo was _not_ this man. Not anymore. This was not his friend and it was no use trying to reason with him. While Poe had resisted the call of darkness, Ben had not been so lucky.

Kylo grimaced and his hand shook as he used all the power within him, a crazed look in his eyes.

Poe Dameron fought with all his might to end the attacks on his mind. Somewhere deep inside the Resistance pilot, there was still one last piece of impertinent attitude left.

"The Resistance will not be intimidated by you."


End file.
